Wednesday, January 19, 2011

...
I HAVEN'T GOT A THING, Dear Reader. Not a doggone thing!
So sorry.

Unless, of course, you'd like to hear about the bowl of food I just threw together and ate like I hadn't had hot food for days. Hmm. Not since that meat-and-potato-eating Yard Man walked out the door. While he's gone, I've been on the Cold-Easy diet. This means I eat peppers like they're lollipops, and carrots like I'm a rabbit. Peanut butter's been a frequent entree, with corn chips on the side.

But that horse-selling man will be back home tomorrow, and it suddenly struck me that now's a good time to cook quinoa. When it comes to politics, the man and I are like-minded; but as for quinoa, we don't sing the same tune. He growls, I chirp.

So anyway, when the light bulb formed, I scampered for the bag of quinoa at the back of the cupboard, and wracked my brain for add-ins.

Here's what I concocted--Qathy's Impulsive and Rashly Unpredictable Quinoa--(otherwise known as Qathy's Quixotic Quinoa). Keep in mind that naming it was as much fun as throwing together the ingredients; so if you wish to give it a try, Dear Reader, you may want to name it some moniker of your own. It was not, however, more fun than eating this fabulous-tasting dish; so if you don't feel inclined to re-name, by all means go ahead and eat it, anyway!

The following will make two tidy little side-dish servings. If you haven't eaten hot food (other than a few scrambled eggs) for several days, consider it one serving: (Oh, and let me just say right here--I've spelled it all out as though it were, you know, some kind of real recipe that one need study carefully and measure out according to directions. Pfft! It's just a concoction; I'm putting on airs).

>1/2 Cup Quinoa, toasted several minutes in a dry skillet, stirring continuously
>1 Cup Chicken Broth
>2 Wadded-up Handfuls of fresh Spinach Leaves
>1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
>1/2 Cup chopped dried Black Mission Figs
(Hey, figs is what I had--Raisins is what I wished to use, but I finished them off two days ago while on the Cold-Easy diet, and forgot to get more).
>1/4 Cup chopped walnuts
>1 Teaspoon Rosemary-flavored Olive Oil
(just happened to have this on my cupboard, too...so great when one is concocting)

Add first four ingredients to pan and simmer, covered, for approximately 15 minutes. Add figs (or raisins) for last one-two minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and stir in chopped walnuts and olive oil.

...Ohhhh--I'm rather enamored of my dish--I could eat another marvelous mess of this QQQ right now!